Daughter’s disgust at price hike to bury mum in Bearsden

Laura Sturrock

A grieving daughter was disgusted to discover that she is being charged twice as much to bury her mum in Bearsden.

Joyce Butchart’s mum Eileen Graham passed away on January 12 this year and had requested to be buried in New Kilpatrick Cemetry next to her husband, after she purchased a lair there in 1993.

However East Dunbartonshire Council are charging the family £2,500 to open the lair again, because Eileen had not lived in the council area for ten years prior to her death.

If she had lived in the council area it would only have cost £1,250.

Joyce said: “Having lived in Bearsden for 22 years my mum relocated as a widow to East Kilbride to be nearer myself and her grandchildren.”

“Heritage funeral directors in East Kilbride made all arrangements and they have never come across a council with such an atrocious rule.

“Why make money from other people’s misery? How dare they, having already paid at the time for the plot and paid for the title, they have the audacity to charge a previous resident of Bearsden a ridiculous fee when her own husband is buried there and waiting for her.